Mounting device for snowboard brake

ABSTRACT

This invention concerns a device for fastening a brake device to a binding mounted on a snowboard, where the brake device comprises an active braking part in the form of a movable brake heel that is flexibly joined to a base section arranged on the binding. The device is characterised in that the base section and the binding each comprises structure that allow the base section to slide relative to the binding and structure, which in a retaining manner, locks the base section to the binding.

The present invention concerns a fastening device for a snowboard brake according to the preamble to claim 1.

A usual method of preventing a snowboard from running away when the user takes it off is to fasten it with a strap. A disadvantage in using a strap is that it can fasten to protruding objects in the snow and that riders think it is difficult to use. A known solution to this problem is to use a brake that is operated by one of the skier's feet and that is activated when the snowboard is made free from the skier.

A common method of fastening a brake to a snowboard is to screw it to the snowboard either between the bindings or under one of the bindings. One disadvantage with this type of brake device is that its position is fixed and cannot be adjusted. If the brake device needs to be moved, it must be unscrewed and fastened in a new position, which is naturally not without problems and additionally results in damaging the surface of the snowboard.

The position of the brake device will need adjustment for example when the rider wishes to adjust the foot angle and thereby the binding angle in relation to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard. This means that the position of the brake must also be adjusted as it is operated by one foot. Another example is where rental snowboards are available and many different riders will be using the same snowboard and a number of different brake positions will therefore be required. The degree of simplicity when adjusting snowboard equipment, such as bindings and brakes, is significant as it must be done in as short a time as possible and in a simple and flexible manner.

One object of the present invention is to achieve a fastening device for a removable brake device on a snowboard, which is easy to use and mount, and eases or completely remedies the aforesaid disadvantages. Another object is to achieve a fastening device that is cost-efficient and simple in design.

These objects are attained with a fastening device exhibiting the characteristics specified in claim 1.

The invention is described in more detail below with references made to the attached drawings, where

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a fastening device in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of one groove,

FIG. 3 shows one locking washer,

FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 5 shows one locking washer,

FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of one groove,

FIG. 7 shows a further alternative embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 8 shows one locking washer,

FIG. 9 shows one locking sleeve,

FIG. 10 shows a further alternative embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 11 shows a cross-section of one runner and

FIG. 12 shows one groove.

A snowboard 1 is designed with two short sides and two long sides. On the snowboard 1 is usually mounted one binding 3 for each foot. The bindings 3 are usually arranged more or less transverse to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard 1 at a suitable distance from each other. The bindings 3 are usually designed so that the rider can move/rotate the binding 3 in relation to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard 1. This is so that it is possible to obtain an individual position/angle of the feet on the snowboard and in relation to the angle of attack of the snowboard 1 to the gradient of the hill. At one of the bindings 3 is arranged a brake 4. The brake 4 may require being moved forwards or backwards depending on the movement of the binding 3.

In one embodiment, see FIG. 1, a movement of this type is possible through the arrangement to the binding 3 of a guide in the form of a groove 5 in which a part of the brake device 4 is mounted. The groove 5, see FIG. 2, is made through milling or in some other suitable known manner in the binding 3 and has a T-shaped cross-section with an opening at the top of the binding 3. In at least one end of the opening, as shown in FIG. 1, is arranged a widening 7 slightly larger than the width of the groove 5 to receive a means of locking in the form of a locking washer 8 and 8′ described in the following text.

The brake device 4 comprises a base section 11 comprising a pair of locking washers 8 and 8′ according to FIG. 3. The locking washers 8 and 8′ are T-shaped and each comprises a shaft 12, one end of which is arranged on the base section 11. The locking washers 8 and 8′ are placed at the bottom part of the base section 11, one at the front part and the other at the rear part, face down. At the lower part of the shaft 12 is arranged a pair of protruding parts, catches, in the form of locking pins 30 intended to interact with the groove 5. The part of the shaft 12, the part of the locking washers 8, 8′ opening into the top of the base section 11, comprises a groove 14 for a screwdriver or similar tool. When mounting the brake device 4 to the binding 3, the locking washers 8, 8′ are turned to a position where the locking pins 13 are parallel to the groove 5 opening. The brake device 4 is moved down towards the snowboard 1 so that the locking washers 8, 8′ run inside the groove 5. After this, the brake device 4 is moved in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1 along the groove 5 to the intended position, after which the locking washers 8, 8′ are rotated essentially one quarter of a turn, 90 degrees. With the locking washers 8, 8′ in this position, the locking pins 13 will lock the brake device 4 base section 11 in the groove 5 on the binding 3.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the guide is designed as a strip 9 that is glued or in some other way fastened to the top of the binding 3. The strip 9 is made of an elastic material, such as thin metal, composite or a type of plastic, to follow the movement of the binding when in use and with a cross-section in the shape of a truncated cone with its wider base turned towards the bottom of the binding, walls directed obliquely upwards, and its narrow opening face up. With the strip 9 fastened to the top of the binding, a groove 9′ is obtained according to FIG. 6. The position of the guide is determined by the appearance of the brake device 4, the important and position-determining thing being that the active braking part of the braking device 4, the brake heel, in its extended position protrudes outside the side section of the snowboard 1 and in its contracted position is within the outer confining sides of the snowboard so as not to obstruct the use of the snowboard.

The locking washer 8, 8′, as shown in FIG. 5, is designed with a head 15 that has a similar cone shaped cross-section as the strip 9. When mounting the brake device 4, the head 15, as shown in FIG. 6, is inserted into the openings at the ends of the strip 9, the brake device 4 slides along the strip 9 to the desired position and is locked in place with a screw 16 arranged on the top of the locking washer 8, 8′. By turning the screw 16, the head is pressed up against the vertical walls of the strip 9, while the base section 11 of the brake device 4 is pressed against the binding 3, fixing the brake device 4. In another alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the top of the binding 3 is arranged with a mounting part in the form of threaded inserts 17. In these threaded inserts 17 are screwed guides in the form of locking washers the 8, 8′ with an appearance shown in FIG. 8 but with the end with the locking pins 13 pointing upwards away from the binding 3, with the locking pins essentially parallel to the length of the snowboard 1. The base section 11 of the brake device 4 comprises a continuous through groove 18 as shown in FIG. 9. In the groove 18 is arranged a pair of rotating locking sleeves 19, see FIG. 9, which run freely along the length of the said groove 18.

The locking sleeves 19 are arranged with a groove along the length of the inside periphery of the locking sleeve 19 and running in a spiral from the bottom and up and finishing in a depression with a shape corresponding to the shape of the locking pins 13. The brake device 4 groove 18 and sleeves 19 are positioned to the locking washers 8, 8′, moved to the desired position and pressed down against the binding 3 and the snowboard 1. Subsequently, the sleeves 19 are rotated essentially one quarter of a turn, i.e. 90°. During this rotation, the locking washer 8, 8′ locking pins 13 follow in the spiral grooves in the sleeves. The spiral shape of the groove means that the brake device 4 is pressed against the top of the binding 3 and the brake device 4 is locked with the locking washer 8, 8′ locking pins 13 resting inside the depression in the sleeves 19.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the top of the binding 3 is arranged with a guide in the form of a runner 21 with an I-shaped cross-section, i.e. with a vertical centre 23 with a lower and upper end shaped as horizontal sections 22, 22′ extending outside the confining sides of the centre 23 as shown in FIG. 11. The runner 21 is made of an elastic material, such as thin metal, composite or a type of plastic, in order to follow the bending of the snowboard 1 that occurs when it is in use. The lower horizontal part 22 of the runner 21 is glued or in some other way fastened to the binding 3, and the upper horizontal part 22′ of the runner 21 is intended to fit into a continuous groove 24 arranged to the base section 11 of the brake device 4, which has a corresponding I-shaped cross-section as shown in FIG. 12.

When mounting the brake device, one end of the groove 24 on the base section 11 of the brake device 4 is positioned to the end of the runner 21, after which the brake device 4 slides along the runner 21 in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 10 to the desired position. Then, the brake device 4 is locked with a locking screw 25 arranged on the base section 11 that when rotated locks the brake device 4 to the runner 21.

The different embodiments described above can be varied in several different ways. Important with respect to the design of the guide and the means of locking is that they are designed so that the locking means has a shape that corresponds with the guide and which allows an adjustable fitting of one inside the other, irrespective of whether the guide is arranged in the binding 3 or in the base section 11 of the brake device 4 and, after the brake device 4 has been given the desired position, that it is possible to join the parts to each other through an effective means of locking.

In the description above, the location of the brake device base section has the whole time been referred to the top of the binding. Naturally, it is also possible to arrange the base section to other surfaces on the binding, for example its side surfaces/parts, if this would result in a more efficient and more suitable position.

The design of the device in different versions makes it possible to remove the brake device on different occasions, such as for storing snowboards at hire facilities or when transporting one or more snowboards, without having to make any changes to either the brake or the snowboard. When the snowboard is later to be used, the brake device can be attached just as easily as it was removed and without any further adjustments having to be made other than the actual fitting which is done by interlocking the component parts in the desired position.

The present invention is not limited to the above description and as illustrated in the drawings but can be changed and modified in a number of different ways within the framework of the idea of invention specified in the following claims. 

1. Device for fastening a brake device (4) to a binding (3) mounted on a snowboard (1), where the brake device (4) comprises an active braking part in the form of a movable brake heel (10) that is flexibly joined to a base section (11) arranged on the binding (3), c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the base section (11) and the binding (3) each comprises means (5, 8, 8′, 9, 21, 24) that allow the base section (11) to slide relative to the binding (3) and means (19, 25), which in a retaining manner, lock the base section (11) to the binding (3).
 2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the means (5, 8, 8′, 9, 21, 24) comprise a female part in the form of a continuous groove (5, 9, 24) and a male part in the form of adjustable locking washers (8, 8′, 21) in the groove.
 3. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the locking means (19, 25) secure the locking washers (8, 8′, 21) in the groove (5, 9, 24) through a clamping interaction with the base section (11) and the binding (3).
 4. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the groove (5, 9, 24) is arranged in the binding (3).
 5. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the groove (5, 9) is designed with a cross-section exhibiting a shape and dimension corresponding to the locking washer (8, 8′).
 6. Device according to 2, characterised in that the groove is formed of a strip (9) that is glued or in some other way affixed to the top of the binding (3).
 7. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the locking washers (8, 8′) are arranged to the side of the base (11) of the brake device (4) that is facing the binding (3).
 8. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the locking washers (8, 8′) are arranged to the top of the binding (3).
 9. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that the groove (18, 24) is arranged to the base section (11) of the brake device (4) and comprises a cross-section corresponding to the shape of the locking washer (8, 8′, 21).
 10. Device in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the locking washers (8, 8′) comprise locking pins (13), the locking washers (8, 8′) being mounted on the snowboard (1) with threaded inserts (17) arranged in depressions in the binding (3).
 11. Device according to claim 10, characterised in that the threaded inserts (17) are arranged in pairs at a distance from each other on the front binding (3) seen in the direction of riding.
 12. Device in accordance with claim 2, characterised in that the locking washer comprises a continuous runner (21) with an I-shaped cross-section arranged with its base (22′) to the binding (3).
 13. Device according to claim 12, characterised in that the base (11) of the brake device (4) is arranged with a continuous through groove (18) with a cross-section corresponding to the I-shaped runer (21).
 14. Device according to claim 7, characterised in that the strip (9)/runner (21) comprise an elastic compliant material.
 15. Device according to claim 14, characterised in that the strip (9)/runner (21) comprises a polymeric material. 